Louis antoine bocognano



(No Model.)

L. A. BOCOGNANO.

PROCESS OF MAKING SOLID METAL BUTTONS. No. 548,351. Patented 0013.22, 1895.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

LOUIS ANTOINE BOOOGNANO, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

PROCESS OF MAKING SOLID METAL BUTTONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 548,351, dated October 22, 1895. Application filed May 17, 1895. Serial No. 549,606. (No specimens.) Patented in France August 4, 1892, No. 223,462.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUISANTOINE Boooe- NANO, of the city of Paris, France, have invented an Improved Process of Making Solid Metal Buttons, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in France for fifteen years, dated August 4, 1892, No. 223,462,) of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists of an improved process of making solid metal buttons, such as those used on military and other uniforms. Such buttons are usually made of several parts united by riveting, clinching, or soldering, and they are costly to make in consequence of the hand-labor required, and are liable to become detached from their shanks.

The present'invention relates to a method of manufacture whereby the shank is formed integral with the blank from which the button-head is made.

In order that my invention may be more readily understood, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the several figures show cross-section and plan views illustrating the different stages of manufacture of the button.

Figure 1 shows the blank. Fig. 2 shows .the blank after the first stamping. Fig. 3

shows the same after slitting to form the shank. Fig. t shows the same after closing in the button-head. Figs. 5 and 6 show the finished button.

From a sheet of metal of proper thickness a circular blank a, Fig. 1, is stamped out of slightly greater diameter than that of the button to be made, after which the central portion of the blank is cupped by means of dies to form the boss I), Fig. 2, at the under side, from which boss the shank is then formed by cutting either parallel or cross slits c, according as the shank is to be single or double.

The blank is then annealed and subjected to the next operation, which consists in subjectin g the blank to the action of a steel die and punch, whereby to impart tothe shank its exact external form, as shown in Fig. 3.

The next operation consists in closing the slit or slits in the button-head by placing the blank upon a steel block or die having a central circular truncated conical aperture which at the upper part is of the same diameter as the blank, the diameter at the lower part of the aperture being diminished to the diameter of the button to be produced. By means of a punch of corresponding form composed of a variable number of jointed and springmounted parts the blank is compressed by a blow of the fiy-press, whereby the slits 0 previously produced are closed and concealed by the coming together of their edges, the face of the blank then presenting a continuous surface, as shown in Fig. 4. The .blank thus prepared is then again annealed and placed in a die which imparts to it its final form and ornamentation, the button-shank being inserted in a counterpart having a central aperturedof the form shown in Fig. 5, wherein ,under the action of the final pressure the metal is caused to enter and form a slightlyraised base, from which the limbs of the button-shank spring, as represented in section in Fig. 6.

The face of the button, whether smooth or bearing a design, will present no trace of the metal which has been removed therefrom to form the shank.

I claim- The herein described method of manufacturing metallic buttons with integral shanks, which consists in forming the button in a single piece by stamping out a circular metal blank of slightly larger diameter than the finished button, then cupping this blank to form the projection for the shank, then slitting this projecting portion and thereupon closing up the slits by stretching the metal of the blank, leaving intact the portion cut from the slit.

The foregoing specification of my improved process of making solid metal buttons signed by me this 20th day of April, 1895.

LOUIS ANTOINE BOCOGN-ANO.

Witnesses:

EDWARD P. MAOLEAN, ALBERT MOREAU. 

